Hai Van Pass (also known as May Pass because the top of the pass is covered with clouds all year round) is a pass running on the Bach Ma Mountains (a branch of the Truong Son Range that crosses into the sea). This place is famous for being the most beautiful and rugged pass in Vietnam.
The winding pass crosses the mountain range, has a length of 20km, an average height of 500m above sea level, is the boundary between Thua Thien Hue province and Da Nang city.
From above, you can see the city of Da Nang very clearly. According to history books, before 1306, the land with Hai Van Pass belonged to the two continents O and Ri of the Cham Pa Kingdom. In 1306, the King of Cham Pa, Che Man, cut these two continents as the boundary between Dai Viet and Champa.
About a century later, under the Ho Dynasty, in 1402 Hai Van Pass became the natural boundary of Thuan Hoa and Quang Nam. Le Quy Don's book Phu Bien Bien has written: "Hai Van is close to the coast, on the clouds, is the limit of the two countries of Thuan Hoa and Quang Nam".
In 1470, King Le Thanh Tong personally led his troops to attack Champa. When he arrived at Hai Van Pass, he was impressed and moved by the majestic landscape, wrote poetry and named this place "The First Mighty Temple".
In the Nguyen Dynasty, Hai Van was the boundary between Thua Thien and Quang Nam. The mountain pass is extremely dangerous, dangerous and difficult to walk, with many wild animals and robbers. For centuries, very few people dared to cross and Hai Van was an obstacle in trade and cultural exchange.
In 1902, the French colonists built a railway through Hai Van Pass, and in 1906 it was cleared and is part of the national railway system starting construction in 1881. This is really a miracle because of the extremely rugged terrain. Hai Van Railway winds its way on the mountainside, passing through 6 underpasses and 18 bridges. The ship travels on the pass with a cliff on one side, a deep abyss and the sea on the other.
Riding the train through here is an unforgettable experience for anyone because you can see the majestic nature and beautiful wild landscape of the pass.
From Da Nang to the North along the Hai Van Pass, when you come to the winding bend in Thua Thien Hue province, visitors can easily enjoy the panoramic view of Lang Co Mausoleum and Lap An lagoon. Here there are spacious houses reflecting on the deep blue sea, pure white sand dunes stretching out, in the distance is the Diep Mountains covered with white clouds.
Photo: Hoang Ha
Source: VNN